Yesterday I posted a structural analysis of "When I'm Sixty-Four" that gave me the idea of comparing how Ludwig van Beethoven treated his development sections with how the Beatles treated their middle 8 sections. I suspect that in both, observing and analyzing these specific formal components can serve as a microcosm for their development as creative artists as a whole. With that nascent notion in mind, this post will analyze the structural weight of the middle 8 in each Beatles song released prior to August 1964.

[2] "P. S. I Love You"The middle 8 appears twice, lasting 8 measures and 14 or 15 seconds each time. In addition, the introduction is based on the middle 8. Adding the introduction to the two iterations of the middle 8, the middle 8 comprises 35.5% (43 of 121 seconds) of the song's duration. This is significantly more formal weight than in "Love Me Do".

[3] "Please Please Me"The middle 8 appears just once, lasting 10 measures (the last two of which are transitional, leading back to the verse) and 17 seconds (14.5% of the song's duration).

[5] "There's a Place"The middle 8 appears just once, lasting 10 measures (including a 2 measure transition at the end, which leads back to the verse) and 17 seconds (15.7% of the song's duration).

[6] "I Saw Her Standing There"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 10 measures and 14 or 15 seconds each time, totaling 17.0% (29/171) of the song's duration.

[6b] "A Taste of Honey"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 6 measures and 13 seconds the first time and 10 seconds the second time (in which it is slightly abbreviated because part way through it jumps to the coda), totaling 19.2% (23/120) of the song's duration. This is the first instance of a middle 8 changing time signatures (from triple to quadruple). It is also, however, not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.

[7] "Do You Want to Know a Secret"The middle 8 is used just once, lasting 6 measures, and 12 seconds (10.4% of the song's duration).

[8] "Misery"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 14 seconds each time, totaling 26.7% (28/105) of the song's duration.

[9b] "Anna (Go To Him)"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 16 measures and 34 or 35 seconds each time, totaling 39.9% (69/173) of the song's duration. These middle 8s are given significantly more structural weight than any other Beatles track recorded so far with the exception of "P. S. I Love You". However, "Anna" is not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.

[9c] "Boys"This is the first instance of a Beatles song that does not use a middle 8. However, "Boys" is not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.

[9d] "Chains"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 15 seconds each time, totaling 21.0% (30/143) of the song's duration. However, "Chains" is not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.

[9e] "Baby It's You""Baby It's You" does not use a middle 8. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.

[9f] "Twist and Shout""Twist and Shout" does not use a middle 8. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.

[10] "From Me To You"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 14 seconds each time, totaling 24.1% (28/116) of the song's duration.

[11] "Thank You Girl"The middle 8 is used just once, lasting 12 measures and 14 seconds, totaling 11.4% (14/123) of the song's duration.

[12] "She Loves You""She Loves You" does not use a middle 8. This is the first such instance found in a Beatles original.

[13b] "You Really Got a Hold on Me"The middle 8 appears twice, lasting 5 measures (including one measure of transition back to the verse) and 15 seconds each, totaling 16.7% (30/180) of the song's duration. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.

[13c] "Money (That's What I Want)""Money" does not use a middle 8. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.

[13d] "Devil in her Heart"The middle 8 is used three times (the most so far), lasting 9 measures (including one measure of transition) and 18 seconds each time, totaling 37.2% (54/145) of the song's duration. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.

[13e] "Till There Was You"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 15 or 16 seconds each time, totaling 23.5% (31/132) of the song's duration. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.[13f] "Please Mr. Postman""Postman" does not use a middle 8. However, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.

[14] "It Won't Be Long"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 14 or 15 seconds each time, totaling 22.1% (29/131) of the song's duration.

[14b] "Roll Over Beethoven"The middle 8 is used once, lasting 12 measures and 12 seconds, totaling 7.4% (12/163) of the song's duration. This is the least of any Beatles recording that uses a middle 8; however, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.

[15] "All My Loving""All My Loving" is the second Beatles original not to use a middle 8 (the previous being [12] "She Loves You").

[16] "I Wanna Be Your Man""I Wanna Be Your Man" is the third Beatles original not to use a middle 8 (the previous being [12] "She Loves You", and [15] "All My Loving").

[17] "Little Child"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 6 measures and 10 or 11 seconds each time, totaling 20.8% (21/101) of the song's duration.

[18] "All I've Got To Do"The middle 8 is used twice, the first iteration lasting 9 measures (the last of which is a transition) and 17 seconds the first time, and the second iteration lasting 11 measures (including an extension, which propels the song to its coda) and 21 seconds. These total 25.0% (30/120) of the song's duration.

[19] "Not a Second Time""Not a Second Time" is the fourth Beatles original not to use a middle 8 (the previous being [12] "She Loves You", [15] "All My Loving", and [16] "I Wanna Be Your Man").

[21] "I Want to Hold Your Hand"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 11 measures and 20 or 21 seconds each time. Additionally, for the second time (behind [2] "P. S. I Love You"), the introduction is based on the middle 8, lasting 4 measures and 7 seconds. Combining the intro and two middle 8s, that music accounts for 33.1% (48/145) of the song's duration.

[23] "Can't Buy Me Love""Can't Buy Me Love" is the fifth Beatles original not to use a middle 8 (the previous being [12] "She Loves You", [15] "All My Loving", [16] "I Wanna Be Your Man", and [19] "Not a Second Time").

[24] "You Can't Do That"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 15 second each time, totaling 19.6% (30/153) of the song's duration.

[25] "And I Love Her"The middle 8 is used once, lasting 8 measures and 18 seconds, constituting 12.2% (18/148) of the song's duration.[26] "I Should Have Known Better"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 16 measures and about 29 seconds both times, totaling 36.0% (58/161) of the song's duration.

[27] "Tell Me Why"The middle 8 is used just once, lasting 10 measures and 15 seconds,constituting 11.7% (15/128) of the song's duration.[28] "If I Fell"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 5 measures and 11 seconds each, totaling 15.9% (22/138) of the song's duration.[29] "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 4 measures and 7 seconds each time, totaling 12.1% (14/116) of the song's duration.[29b] "Long Tall Sally""Long Tall Sally" does not employ a middle 8; however, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.[30] "I Call Your Name"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 16 or 15 seconds each, totaling 24.1% (31/128) of the song's duration. The middle 8 is particularly interesting in this number because it replaces the first half of verses 2 and 3. It retains its function as a harmonically contrasting section with the verse, but is always followed in both instances not by a whole verse, but only by the second half of a verse. Unusual.[31] "A Hard Day's Night"The middle 8 appears twice, lasting 8 measures and 14 seconds each time, totaling 18.3% (28/153) of the song's duration.[31b] "Matchbox" "Matchbox" does not employ a middle 8; however, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.[32] "I'll Cry Instead"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 10 seconds each time, totaling 19.0% (20/105) of the song's duration.[32b] "Slow Down""Slow Down" does not employ a middle 8; however, it is also not an original song, and thus does not accurately portray the Beatles' own compositional decisions.[33] "I'll Be Back""I'll Be Back" is the first Beatles song to date using two different middle 8s. They both serve the same basic function of contrasting with the verses (which is why I classify them both as middle 8s), but they are distinctly different from each other, with only the endings bearing any resemblance. The first middle 8 is used twice, lasting 6.5 measures (the seventh is a 2/4 bar, while the rest of the song is in common time) and 12 or 13 seconds. The second middle 8 is used once, lasting 9.5 measures (again, the final bar is a 2/4) and 18 seconds. Combine the two middle 8s together, and they total 30.5% (43/141) of the song's duration. While 30.5% is not the greatest proportion so far, the fact that two different middle 8s are used in "I'll Be Back" illustrates a significant increase in structural weight given to the middle 8.

[34] "Any Time At All""Any Time At All" is the sixth Beatles original not to use a middle 8 (the previous being [12] "She Loves You", [15] "All My Loving", [16] "I Wanna Be Your Man", [19] "Not a Second Time", and [23] "Can't Buy Me Love").[35] "Things We Said Today"The middle 8 is used twice, lasting 8 measures and 16 seconds both times, totaling 20.8% (32/154) of the song's duration. Furthermore, the song is in A minor, however in both iterations of the middle 8, that switches to the parallel major. In other words, the middle 8s are emphasized (i.e. given more structural weight) by changing the tonality from A minor to A major.[36] "When I Get Home"The middle 8 is used once, lasting 10 measures and 21 seconds, constituting 15.6% (21/135) of the song's duration.

ConclusionsAll of this data might be more easily observable in this chart.Of the Beatles first 36 original songs, 30 employ at least one middle 8. Clearly, the Beatles as composers value the structural benefits of a section that contrasts harmonically with the verses. That being said, at this early stage in their career, the middle 8 comprises only about 20% of the song (give or take 10%).

Every song, of course, needs something to contrast the verses, otherwise the song would be quite monotonous. The six tunes that do not employ a middle 8 feature a chorus that serves this contrasting function. Of these six, two ([15] "All My Loving" and [19] "Not a Second Time") blur the line between middle 8 and chorus - they could be interpreted either way.

The next step is to do a similar analysis of the middle 8s in subsequent Beatles songs and then compare and contrast with the ones analyzed above.